17 August 2010 (Music Profile)

 

Every month, we select our top five new releases for the month ahead, letting you know exactly why we think they're worth a trip to your local record shop. In just the first half of this month we've got understated as well as riotous alternative rock, anthemic indie-pop and one big 80s throwback. | Words: Jenny Mulligan

 

 

 

Interpol - Interpol (10th September)
After three years, a solo project from frontman Paul Banks and the loss of respected bass player Carlos Dengler, Interpol are finally ready to follow up 2007's 'Our Love To Admire'. Their final album with Dengler on board, this self titled effort was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and sees the band return to their independent roots by releasing it on their own newly formed label, Soft Limit. Despite all this change, they don't sound much different. A tad more morose perhaps, but it's the same sparse, dark rock of the Interpol we all know and love.

Brandon Flowers - Flamingo (3rd September)
While The Killers are taking a much needed break after six years of solid touring, frontman Brandon Flowers is busy releasing his debut solo album. Hugely inspired by his home town, the album is named after the Flamingo Casino & Flamingo Road. Enlisting the production skills of Daniel Lanois, Brendan O'Brien and Stuart Price, he also invited Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis, whom he calls "a daughter of Vegas," to guest on the song "Hard Enough." Though Flowers initially wrote these songs for The Killers, you'll find few of the rollicking anthems the Las Vegas band are known for, but it's a must for fans all the same.

Hurts - Happiness (3rd September)
They look like cast-offs from The Human League and sound like a mish-mash of every 80s electro-pop band you can think of, but Manchester duo Hurts are brand new. Having earned a place on the BBC's prestigious Sound of 2010 shortlist late last year, Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson managed to persuade none other than Kylie Minogue herself to sing on a duet called 'Devotion'. Also featuring single 'Better Than Love' and 'Wonderful Live', 'Happiness' is set to be an enjoyable exercise in black and white 80s nostalgia.

Grinderman - Grinderman 2 (10th September)
After the success of Grinderman's self titled debut in 2007, Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds spin off band return with the not so imaginatively titled 'Grinderman 2'. The band, made up of Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Case and Jim Sclavunos, once again worked with Nick Launay on the album, for a sound they describe as 'very diverse' and 'psychedelic'. Cave has also said that Grinderman 2 "will feature a totally different sound" and that he doesn't expect it to be commercially successful, but we'd wager this raucous, savage, distorted noise will still go down pretty well.

The Script - Science & Faith (10th September)
Here in Ireland, we have more than our fair share of angst ridden singer-songwriters, an impressive collection of noisy rock bands and yes, a shameful number of cheesy boybands. With their origins in one of the latter and a fanbase predominantly made up of teenage girls, that The Script have managed to hang on to some semblance of credibility is quite a feat. Receiving worldwide success and award nominations aplenty with their 2008 debut, there's no doubt 'Science & Faith' is going to be absolutely huge.

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